I: So, you guys have been keeping commonplace journals. From what I know, a commonplace book is where you write things down daily or close to daily. What kinds of things do you write in your journal? M: My entries are kind of random usually. I just write down thoughts I have during the day. Like if something pops up in my mind, I’ll write about it. Or if something happened that day that interests me, I’ll write about it.
I: Are your entries more serious or comical? M: It depends really. My entries are usually somewhere in between the two. I say this just because it’s not like I venture in to the “What is the meaning of life” kind of deal in my entries. But I like to ask questions that do provoke some serious thought. On the other hand, I do like to just put pictures in and go “This is a picture when I was blah blah” kind of that deal.
I: I see. What kind of writing style do you normally use? M: I usually just write down what I think at that moment so my entries are never really well constructed in parts. But I like to leave my entries open if I can. By that I mean writing a lot of questions which I don’t attempt to answer because I can’t or I want to think about it more. I have also tried just simply writing about pictures or even a poem.
I: Oh, that sounds interesting. So do you think you are going to attempt to answer some of your entry questions in the near future? M: I should really think about trying. So far, I have kind of just written stuff down and moved on to something else. But I think very soon, I’m going to start going back to some of the entries that are really interesting to me and try to expand on them.
I: That’s good I hope you will do that too. But anyway, is there a certain style that you would want to try in your entries? M: Yeah, actually. I really want to start using more pictures or visual aids in my entries. I’m actually a very visual person and sometimes it’s easier to understand something if there’s a picture there. So I do want to add in more pictures or something with my entries. Or maybe even cut down some of my writing (because I’ve been writing a lot) and put in more pictures than words you could say.
I: I like that idea a lot. Are there any questions in your common place book which really provoke your thoughts? M: There are actually. We have three essential questions which are basically questions that we think are important to us. We wrote them down when we first got our common place books just to think about them and possibly write about them.
I: So have you written about any of them? M: I’ve written about two of them but haven’t answered them. The beauty of essential questions is that you don’t have to answer all three questions at once. You can kind of take you time, and just write down your thoughts one of the questions at one time, leave it for a while, and perhaps come back to it and add to it.
I: What are you’re essential questions? M: They are: What does it mean to be happy? What does it mean to be smart? And what makes a good person?
I: Interesting. So, do you think that any of your entries (even if they aren’t directly about your essential questions) reflect your essential questions? M: I think in a way some of them do. Like for example, a lot of my entries have to do with me being happy. And I guess just by listing things that have made me happy, I’ve started to find things that could help me understand what it means to be happy.
I: Wow, that’s very deep. So what do you think your next entry is going to be about? M: Haha. Hmm. Well I kind of want to write a poem because I haven’t done that in a while. I think it’d be a nice change. But if I don’t write a poem I want to expand on one of my previous entries.
I: Well that’s good that you’re trying to accomplish some of the things that you want to do. I see that you’re really putting some thought into your common place book. M: Yup. I definitely try.
I: Haha. That’s good. Well thank you for letting me interview you. M: It was fun and your welcome.
I: So, you guys have been keeping commonplace journals. From what I know, a commonplace book is where you write things down daily or close to daily. What kinds of things do you write in your journal?
M: My entries are kind of random usually. I just write down thoughts I have during the day. Like if something pops up in my mind, I’ll write about it. Or if something happened that day that interests me, I’ll write about it.
I: Are your entries more serious or comical?
M: It depends really. My entries are usually somewhere in between the two. I say this just because it’s not like I venture in to the “What is the meaning of life” kind of deal in my entries. But I like to ask questions that do provoke some serious thought. On the other hand, I do like to just put pictures in and go “This is a picture when I was blah blah” kind of that deal.
I: I see. What kind of writing style do you normally use?
M: I usually just write down what I think at that moment so my entries are never really well constructed in parts. But I like to leave my entries open if I can. By that I mean writing a lot of questions which I don’t attempt to answer because I can’t or I want to think about it more. I have also tried just simply writing about pictures or even a poem.
I: Oh, that sounds interesting. So do you think you are going to attempt to answer some of your entry questions in the near future?
M: I should really think about trying. So far, I have kind of just written stuff down and moved on to something else. But I think very soon, I’m going to start going back to some of the entries that are really interesting to me and try to expand on them.
I: That’s good I hope you will do that too. But anyway, is there a certain style that you would want to try in your entries?
M: Yeah, actually. I really want to start using more pictures or visual aids in my entries. I’m actually a very visual person and sometimes it’s easier to understand something if there’s a picture there. So I do want to add in more pictures or something with my entries. Or maybe even cut down some of my writing (because I’ve been writing a lot) and put in more pictures than words you could say.
I: I like that idea a lot. Are there any questions in your common place book which really provoke your thoughts?
M: There are actually. We have three essential questions which are basically questions that we think are important to us. We wrote them down when we first got our common place books just to think about them and possibly write about them.
I: So have you written about any of them?
M: I’ve written about two of them but haven’t answered them. The beauty of essential questions is that you don’t have to answer all three questions at once. You can kind of take you time, and just write down your thoughts one of the questions at one time, leave it for a while, and perhaps come back to it and add to it.
I: What are you’re essential questions?
M: They are: What does it mean to be happy? What does it mean to be smart? And what makes a good person?
I: Interesting. So, do you think that any of your entries (even if they aren’t directly about your essential questions) reflect your essential questions?
M: I think in a way some of them do. Like for example, a lot of my entries have to do with me being happy. And I guess just by listing things that have made me happy, I’ve started to find things that could help me understand what it means to be happy.
I: Wow, that’s very deep. So what do you think your next entry is going to be about?
M: Haha. Hmm. Well I kind of want to write a poem because I haven’t done that in a while. I think it’d be a nice change. But if I don’t write a poem I want to expand on one of my previous entries.
I: Well that’s good that you’re trying to accomplish some of the things that you want to do. I see that you’re really putting some thought into your common place book.
M: Yup. I definitely try.
I: Haha. That’s good. Well thank you for letting me interview you.
M: It was fun and your welcome.